Chapter 1717
Chapter 1717 - 1713: Sea Serpent
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7 min read
"....Are all high-level transcendents this outrageous?"
"Uh, you think this counts as outrageous...? You probably haven’t seen worse. Let’s not talk about distant examples—you should know about Dragon Moon Island, right? It drifted over and became our frontline base and an unsinkable mothership. In truth, one of my seniors merged with it and turned the entire Dragon Moon Island into his own flesh."
Lu Ping’an smiled faintly. Though he was telling the truth, it still made the "little girl" question her existence. She had clearly crossed the threshold of Rule-level, but why did the difference in style feel so vast?
In reality, whether it was Lu Ping’an, Elder Liu, or Lord Xiuyi, none of them could be considered your typical eighth-tier or even Quasi-God.
Even within Lin Nu’s Church, which gathered several times the top combat power compared to other Proper God Churches, these people stood out as the most exceptional.
On one side were individuals elevated by the favor of destiny, their levels artificially increased. On the other side were the absolute tops among the elites, whose accumulated experiences had normal gaps of at least centuries. Naturally, their abilities were worlds apart.
For Lu Ping’an, maintaining "humility" was certainly a good trait, especially in a Multi-universe like this—it was impossible to predict how many outrageous species and Extraordinary abilities remained undiscovered.
Lu Ping’an seemed interested in the battlefield before him, but in truth, his attention remained locked on that suspected eighth-tier opponent.
If the enemy didn’t make a move soon, this city would inevitably become his "arms reserve."
That’s how the Life system worked... or rather, how most top professionals operated. War was essentially a competition of "energy reserves," and the seemingly sacred Life system naturally used life energy.
If it were an insect swarm, the focus would be on biomatter. For a beast swarm, it would rely on flesh reserves. For a Tree-man Army... it would max out on fertilizer.
They all practiced "self-cycling." The efficiency might differ, their methods might vary in presentation, but the essence never changed.
Essentially, the "Life-points" circulating within the Courtyard and the "life conversions" happening now were simply two sides of the same coin.
Lu Ping’an made no effort to conceal the sinister and eerie aspects of the Life system. He wouldn’t bother claiming there’s no evil power, only evil people. Some Paths inherently required Mortal sacrifices and various dark ritual ceremonies, making them outright malevolent. Many even directly influenced the user’s psyche.
But if one truly decided to walk this road, it was imperative to understand what awaited down the path.
Lu Ping’an spoke quite candidly, casually citing examples of Quasi-Gods he knew... When he mentioned some who used entire planets as conscription points, assembling life forms into makeshift soldiers, Lu Ping’an’s approach almost seemed "benevolent" within the Life system.
Lu Ping’an observed the girl... Having too much conscience was admirable, but in this field, limiting oneself excessively often meant leaving altogether.
However, as it turned out, Lu Ping’an’s concerns were unnecessary. Anyone who could endure a three-year odyssey like this one, profoundly understanding the importance of "power," wouldn’t hesitate for long. Sure enough, the protagonist hesitated for merely an instant before deciding resolutely.
Watching the woman as she directed her gaze toward the battlefield, seemingly analyzing the flow of life in her own way, Lu Ping’an nodded in approval.
His time was limited, and he had zero patience for stupidity, even less for idealistic altruists. In his eyes, being compassionate toward Foreign Domain lives in a Multi-universe environment harsher than the Dark Forest was tantamount to cruelty—if not outright betrayal—toward one’s own ethnic group.
Lu Ping’an cast his own gaze toward the battlefield. More than the fighting itself, he focused on the "circulation" of life, observing the steady stream of life currency flowing into his wallet...
"Here it comes."
The expected development: if the lord didn’t arrive soon, its Territory was destined to become Lu Ping’an’s military asset.
A massive snake appeared atop the city walls.
It was a grotesque monster. Its lower half was a serpentine body, its scales eerie and stained with various-colored blood, as though it had crawled directly out of a Blood-pool.
Its upper half, however, consisted of a cluster of humanoid flesh lumps, giving the whole entity an intensely unsettling, twisted aura, like a hastily assembled toy—or the malicious patchwork of flesh chunks.
"What the hell is that?"
Lu Ping’an couldn’t identify what the creature was, but he could sense its immense malice.
"Oblivion Snake" was the creature’s codename. Lu Ping’an had initially assumed it was some sort of sea serpent—clearly, that was not the case.
On the monster’s humanoid upper half, embedded within the flesh lumps were countless heads—some of Fishmen, others of the Giant Soldier Race. Each head, with its swiveling eyeballs and twitching necks, looked like a series of "surveillance cameras" or nightmares manifested.
Upon its appearance, everything surrounding it began decaying rapidly. The stench permeated even distant areas, transforming both humans and Fishmen into rotten flesh instantaneously.
Was it accelerated decomposition? Or accelerated metabolism?
As Lu Ping’an considered this, the creature’s sinister aura spread outward without pause.
The Fishmen fled frantically, but the aura pursued them, reducing them to rotting flesh as well. In the next moment, a beam of red light shot high into the air.
Lu Ping’an, holding a red circular shield he’d seemingly picked up unnoticed, deflected the attack with ease.
"...Interesting. It’s ’time.’"
At that moment, Lu Ping’an’s expression shifted into one of genuine delight.
To others, this might be the most bizarre and difficult adversary to contend with; to him, however, it was an exceptionally rare and valuable "material."
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
The humanoid heads on the creature’s upper half screamed in unison. Some shriveled and died, indicating that the attack had consumed significant energy. Moments later, more heads emerged from within its body.
This nightmarish lifeform was enough to ascend to the level of an Evil God, and its "time manipulation" trait could enable countless miracles.
But unfortunately, it seemed to have encountered an opponent far beyond its ability to handle...
Lu Ping’an, rather than growing anxious, ordered a full-on assault by his Black Flame Legion.
Everything near the monster continued to decay... Even the Black Flame lives seemed to falter momentarily in their existence. However, their decay rate moved at a sluggish pace compared to other lifeforms.
For Lu Ping’an, "currency" was perpetually in circulation. It might inflate with time, but it would never die from aging... Its essence had already transcended concepts of life and death.
The Black Flame Legion, engulfed in flames, launched an advanced-level attack against the creature, forcing it into a constant state of retreat.
For the first time, the "Oblivion Snake" began to doubt its own abilities. Its powers, normally unrivaled unless heavily exhausted, proved ineffective. Even in instances where opponents resisted them, it could accelerate its own time to escape.
But this time, the legions before it somehow resisted "years of decay and consumption"?
"AAAAHHHH!"
The desperate snake erupted in terror, accelerating its timeline and spreading wings unused for decades... But unbeknownst to it, a man had already appeared atop its head.
"Material, where do you think you’re going?"
— End of Chapter 1717 —